Thursday, April 16, 2009

National Library Week Tip #3: Don’t judge a book by its call number. Some books make great cross-overs, appealing to many different ages.

“There was a strong current of air in the car, very pleasant. I didn’t realize at first that it was on account of my own tail wagging so hard. Charlie laughed: the best sound made by humans, bar none, and kid laughter is the best of the best.” – Dog On It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn

I somehow ended up with a few canine followers on Twitter, one of which happens to be the fictional Chet the Dog. Actually, I’m a bit jealous of him after noticing that he has more followers than me. Can’t be helped I guess. He’s a pretty lovable character, right down to his mismatched ears.

Chet manages well as the narrator and dog detective in the (Adult fiction) book Dog on It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery. His doggie insights made me laugh out loud many times, especially in the first few chapters. It has been awhile since I read a mystery novel, and this fairly light-hearted crime read by Spencer Quinn, written from a dog’s viewpoint, certainly amused me.

Chet the dog and Bernie, his human partner, run their own PI business called The Little Detective Agency. Suffering from “cash-flow problems” they pick up a case involving a missing teenage girl named Madison. Both dog and owner get themselves into some pretty sticky, suspenseful situations. Cheerios on the floor and other dogs cause a few diversions along the way as well. A quick read with a mystery that’s not difficult to figure out – pretty much the perfect start to what looks to be a fun series. Dog On It reached #7 on the New York Times Best Seller list in March.

This book could make a good YA cross-over, but unfortunately, in my opinion, it contains too much offensive language for YA readers. Fans of Braun’s “Cat Who” cozy series may especially enjoy this addition to the animal detective world.

Win a copy! Atria has kindly sent me an extra copy of Dog On It to giveaway to a Brimful Curiosities reader.

To enter, leave a dog-related comment (about Chet or any dog) on this post. Or, let me know what you think Chet's next adventure should involve.

• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section. • Contest is open to US only • Contest ends on Monday, April 27th, 2009 at 11:59 PM CST.• Winner will be chosen at random

Three ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4):1st extra entry: Follow Me! or subscribe by email or RSS reader2nd extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.3rd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.

I grew up on a farm and had and loved many dogs. My parents are still there and have a cute dog now who just showed up and decided to stay. They all have been lovable mutts except for one pure-bred beagle who was just as lovable as the rest. I love the Cat Who books and am looking forward to reading this this new series.

well the e mail address i use frequently (not the one here) actually belonged to three of my dogs so they could get their own e mail when they where at work with me they are no longer here but the legacy lives on minsthins at optonline dot net

I'd love to read this. Chet sounds like a cool detective. My own dog, however, would fail horribly. He's more concerned about running away from danger, and he thinks everyone is evil. He'd rather stay inside where it's safe.

I am both a mystery fan lover and a dog lover! I am the owner of 3 cats and a rabbit...but the grandmother to Toby, a malti-poo who has many sleepovers at our house! I would love to see a plot where Chet and his human investigate puppy mills!

I love mystery novels but I must confess, the ones I usually read involve cats, as in "The Cat Who..." series. But I would love to read this book to try something new! My favorite dog growing up was named Abby--I rescued her from some neglectful neighbors and she was so small she slept in a strawberry crate for a long time!reneeyeloechikee at hotmail dot com

Because we rent right now, we can't have a dog. But one day I would love to own a pug-I think they are so adorable! We love to take our son to see the puppies at the pet store.mommastaci33(at)yahoo(dot)com

My dog Tippy was a cute little terrior. I had him when I was a little girl. He would always chase cars since we lived out in the country on a gravel road. He got clipped 3 times by cars but it didn't stop him. He'd lay around for a few days and then go right back out there. He is gone now but I will always remember him.

Heaven must be the land of dogs, because what could be better??! Our dog is older and doesn't always get up to greet me when I get home, but I hear him...his tail wagging and hitting the floor...thumping away so hard and crazy...reminds me of the (giveaway) paragraph, with Chet's tail wagging and causing a breeze!! Oh, it would be heavenly to sit in the gazebo this summer with my dog and this book....

I'd love to win this book. I have a history of memorable dog. Toby the Cocker, Sadie the Irish Setter, Bobby the teripoo, Inka and Tara the black labs.All at different times in my life and all now on the otherside of the Rainbow Bridge.

I think that Chet needs to head to sea on some adventure maybe getting lost at see and landing on a very nice inhabited island where he meets new and exciting people with a different culture. Anyway please include me in this giveaway.

Dogs? What can I say about dogs? Well we now have 2 dogs, we recently had to have our beloved black lab named Blackie put to sleep due to the fact that he had prostate cancer, he was 12 years old and the best dog ever. The dogs we have now are Shadow, a lab/newfoundland mix and Sophie, a Cocker spaniel. Our daughter lives with ua also and she has a cocker spaniel named Motely. I guess you could say we love dogs.

I can't get over what a blessing dogs have been in my life. They all bring their own unique magic into our lives at just the right moment. My mixed terrier, Buddy, was never afraid of anything and reminded me to be courageous. Now, my terrier-Lhasa mix, Stella, a silly girl for sure, reminds me to not take life so seriously and to laugh! Thanks for your giveaway offer! Cindi (cinsaadi@yahoo.com)

About Me

Brimful Curiosities is a mom blog/book blog featuring reviews and posts on children's books, music, educational products, toys and more. It's home to the weekly "Full to the Brim" Kid's Book Giveaway List. Occasionally it includes non-children related product and book reviews and personal postings.